As a car owner, you’re all too familiar with the ebbs and flows of a modern-day car.
One minute it could be running smoother than a newly-paved road, then it could be puttering out of control the very next.
Regardless of how old or young your car is, one thing is for certain: your battery only has a certain lifespan on it.
However, some things happen to sabotage the length it actually works for.
Fortunately, there are several things you can do to maximize the life of a car battery. Here are a few tips and tricks that will help your car battery live out its full life expectancy.
1. Coca-Cola
That’s right, ladies and gentlemen… Coca-Cola can play a vital role in helping your car battery life stay up to its full potential.
One of the biggest setbacks that your car battery will endure is the build-up of corrosion on its battery terminals. This often looks like a hardened version of silly string foam that’s been sitting out a while.
The corrosion blocks your battery’s current that’s being sent to the essential portions of your vehicle. Without it, your car won’t be able to run.
So where does Coca-Cola factor into this? You may be wondering.
Coca-Cola can be used to eat away at the corrosion that’s gathered in your car without damaging the terminal itself. Simply pour a bit of it on the corrosion and witness the corrosion disappear within a few minutes.
Some piles of corrosion may take more Coke to clean than others, and you can always use a toothbrush to help scrub the Coke into the corrosion and expedite the process.
2. Shortened Amount of Short Trips
Many people believe that short trips with your car are better for it than long trips.
After all, the less your car runs, the less your auto parts are used, right? Not the case for your car battery.
A battery uses your car running as its way of recharging, so shortened rides give it less time to do so. That’s not to say you should opt to grocery shop at the store across town instead of the one down the street.
Just be sure to mix up the amount of short and long trips so that your car’s battery balances out.
3. Don’t Use Car Features When the Car Isn’t Running
Whenever you use the radio, Bluetooth, or headlights on your car, you’re using your car’s battery to do so. If your car isn’t running, the battery is forced to eat away at its stored power.
Always turn your car on before using the car’s electronic features so the battery can recharge the energy it uses.
The few times you use it’s electronics with the car not running will add up to a shortened lifespan of your car battery. You may be replacing the battery years earlier than need be if you’d just turned the car on before each use.
4. Turn Everything Off When You Leave the Car
You’re probably familiar with the scenario of walking out to your car to commute to work, turning the ignition, and nothing happening. That’s followed by remembering that you left the light on in your car all last night… Uh oh.
To avoid this, develop the healthy habit of making sure all lights and electronics are turned off before stepping out of the vehicle.
No more walking outside to a dead car or running out to turn it off in the middle of the night when you remember.
5. Securely Fasten the Battery
Rattling any type of battery is a one-way ticket to killing it faster than you can say “recharge”.
Being that your car battery sits on the front of your car (for most vehicles), it undergoes several bounces as-is. If it’s not properly fastened in place, it’s experiencing even more rattling than need be.
Take the time every few months to pop the hood and tighten it in place, that way your battery is less likely to short circuit while on the job.
6. Run Frequent Tests
You can never be too safe when checking out the wellness of your car’s battery.
Unless you want to end up late for the big meeting at work or on the side of a highway after a huge bump, you’ll want to test it frequently.
There are several personal car battery testers on the market to run a quick test at home if you’re interested.
If not, you can always ask the mechanic to take a quick test regardless of the work you’re having done. They’re always happy to give you peace-of-mind whenever possible.
7. Always Be Prepared
Monitoring a car battery for problems is much like watching bread in a toaster oven: it never happens if you watch it closely. Except, in this scenario, that’s a good thing.
One of the best ways to care for your car’s battery is by frequently checking up on it and integrating all of these tips when need be. Your car’s battery will run smoothly for years, and you’ll have yourself to thank for it.
Of course, all batteries have so long before they ultimately die out. Replacing car batteries is a necessary step to ensure the rest of your car runs perfectly for years to come.
Life of a Car Battery: It’s In Your Hands
Ultimately, the life of a car battery depends on how much attention you pay to it.
It’s not something you need to spend every day attending to, but a few monthly monitoring check-ups will make a world of difference.
Be sure to check back with the News Wheel often for more helpful information and news on cars.
